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BSS-18
EC-EXPATRIATES-REGISTRATION
EC plans voter registration for expatriates: CEC
DHAKA, Jan 24, 2019 (BSS) – Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) K M Nurul Huda, now visiting in New Delhi, today said the Election Commission (EC) has planned to introduce a voter registration system for Bangladeshi expatriates.
The CEC came up with the remarks while delivering a power-point presentation at the opening session of a two-day international conference on “Making Our Elections Inclusive and Accessible” organised by the Election Commission of India marking its National Voters’ Day celebrations, said an official release received here this afternoon.
Huda said the EC will set up offices in several places in Singapore, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Malaysia, the UK, the US, Italy, Australia and Canada, the hub of the expatriates.
Over 10 million Bangladeshis live in 157 countries and many of these expatriates have failed to enroll in the voter list and don’t have National Identity (NID) cards, the CEC said.
He said technical and non-technical teams of experts will visit the countries to conduct a feasibility study.
In his first foreign visit after presiding over the successful holding of the 11th parliamentary elections on December 30, the CEC said the polls were free, fair and peaceful manner with the spontaneous participation of all registered political parties in presence of 25,000 local (from 81 organisations) and 160 international observers.
Huda said the election commission has focused on young voters encouraging their enrollment through SMS (short message service), TVC (television channels), radio, posters and leaflets. Besides, voters’ awareness programme has also been included in the primary and secondary level curriculum, he added.
Chief Election Commissioner of India Sunil Arora delivered the keynote address at the opening session.
Apart from Bangladesh, representatives from several international organisations and top EC officials from Nepal, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Kazakhstan and Russia are taking part in the event.
BSS/PR-SIR/MMA/1700hrs